McCaffery: Berube picked a bad time to invent a goaltending issue

New York Rangers' Derek Stepan, right, gets the puck past Philadelphia Flyers' Ray Emery, left, for a goal during the first period in Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series, Tuesday, April 22, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers-Rangers playoff series was only two games into a scheduled seven when Craig Berube gave it a tattoo, a distinction for the ages, its definition into eternity.

With chest out and chin up, unapologetically, defiantly even, the Flyers’ coach announced that he was about to bench his No. 1 goaltender. That was the proper verb. Bench. That’s what he did.

Acknowledging that Steve Mason was cured of his non-lower-body injury, that he had been sufficiently conditioned over a few days of practice, that he was good enough to start, Berube instead allowed him to dress and pointed him to the bullpen, to be available only if Ray Emery were to be a colossal failure.

At a point where the Flyers had a chance to take command of a series, the choice was risky.

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It might even have been difficult.

“What do you mean, ‘Difficult?’” Berube said. “I don’t think it’s difficult at all. I think Ray’s played well. Ray just came off a big win. It’s not a difficult decision.”

If it wasn’t a difficult decision, it should have been. That’s because if any franchise didn’t need a manufactured goaltending crisis, it was the one that has been in such a panic to win a third Stanley Cup that it recently went $51 million for Ilya Bryzgalov, an enigmatic, inconsistent clubhouse irritant.

If any franchise didn’t need a manufactured goaltending issue, it was the one that fired Peter Laviolette three games into this season for, among other reasons, a chronic inability to settle on a goalkeeper in the postseason.

If any franchise didn’t need the head coach to invent a two-goalie system, it was the one that recently gave a fresh, $12 million commitment to Mason to be the No. 1 goalie and end all the rest of that carry-on.

But after Emery was good, not great, in splitting two games in Madison Square Garden, he was trusted to play Game 3. It’s as much a reason as any — and there were plenty — why the Flyers will be down a game as they roll into Game 4.

“After practice, I talked to the media, went back in there, sat down with Mase (Mason) and Razor (Emery),” Berube said, before the Flyers’ 4-1 loss. “We all thought it was a good idea.”

The Emery-over-Mason choice was based on the hot-goalie policy, an NHL standard. But how hot was Emery, anyway? Taking over when Mason was injured with a period left in a game in Pittsburgh, Emery blew two leads before the Flyers would win in overtime. He was not the reason they lost Game 1 in New York, yet he did little to provide a victory either. He was strong in Game 2, but not before falling behind, 2-0, the Rangers making him slide side to side, a painful exercise.

So Emery was a decent goalie, the way a backup is supposed to be decent when the No. 1 choice is injured. But he wasn’t hot, or warm, or lukewarm. He was room temperature. Maybe. And Tuesday, he was closer to chilly when he was hit for two even-strength goals within the first 10:24, one when he gloved a rebound to Derek Stepan in front, and later was beaten through the five-hole by Daniel Carcillo to scatter the crowd.

The Flyers did not lose because of Emery alone. They are not receiving value from Vinny Lecavalier. Claude Giroux, who was active on the power play and clever all night with the puck, has yet to score a series goal. Wayne Simmonds was unable to be an annoyance to Henrik Lundqvist. Kimmo Timonen looked every minute of 39 years old.

Yet that is why the Flyers needed their goaltender to manufacture them a victory, not allow the standard-issue four goals and hope to respond with five. Mason at least had shown some of that steal-a-win ability this season. They had to give him a chance, and not like Tuesday when he finally entered, down three goals.

Game 4 is Friday. Mason will be ready. The series is not over. But it has been defined.

That’s what happens when a coach rests his healthy and ready No. 1 goalie.